The use of VOIP (voice-over-internet-protocol) based phone systems has been increasing significantly. One advantage of such a system is the ability to run a “soft” phone client on a user's computer (and, most usefully, on a laptop or notebook) to forward voicemail traffic through the computer system from a PC voice application in such a way that it is functionally equivalent to the user's “hard phone”, generally a land-line phone located, e.g., at an office location. In other words, the computer can not only act as a phone per se in realtime by use of a speaker and microphone associated with the computer, but can also receive and store voicemail whenever the computer is on.
A fundamental problem with this approach, however, is that laptops are typically disconnected much more frequently than cell phones and, as such, are normally not as versatile and handy as cell phones. For instance, a cell phone user can listen to locally recorded messages while the phone is disconnected, e.g., in an airplane while voice messages left via a computer voicemail server would be inaccessible. Accordingly, a computer “soft phone” is generally only useful when the laptop is open and operational. Once the lid is closed, the laptop normally “sleeps” or hibernates and cannot act as a phone at all, even to simply receive voicemail. Any calls received by a VOIP in the “back end”, or away from the laptop, are not availed to the laptop at all until the laptop comes out of “suspend” or “hibernate” mode, makes a network connection (assuming one is available) and connects with the back-end VOIP server.
Thus, a growing and compelling need has been recognized in connection with rendering VOIP systems on laptops, or even on other mobile devices, even more versatile and user-friendly so as to even better replicate the advantages of cell phones.